Frame for fabric material handbags



p M, 3967 TAKASHI NARUKE 3,313,334

FRAME FOR FABRIC MATERIAL HANDBAGS Filed Sept. 22, 1964 ra WI i m United States Patent 3,313,334 FRAME FOR FABRIC MATERIAL HANDBAGS Takashi Narulte, Tokyo, Japan, assignor to Naruke Sangyo (30., Ltd, Snrnida-ku, Tokyo, Japan, a Japanese company Filed Sept. 22, 1964, Ser. No. 398,170 Claims priority, application Japan, Dec. 30, 1963, 38/71,.3 S2 6 Claims. (Cl. 15029) The present invention relates to a new and improved frame for fabric material handbags.

Frames for handbags are not in itself new. Many frames have been commericially accepted, but practically all of them suffer disadvantages, such as short life or unnaturalness of the seam, which restrict the broader commercial acceptability of the frames.

Generally the frame for a fabric material handbag for home manufacture has to be different from that of the commercially made handbag in that it must have endurance, so that the user can replace another bag or other bags after the bag first attached thereto has been spoiled or become old-fashioned or otherwise has lost the users interest, thus providing free selection of the bag to be attached to the frame according to the users wish.

Fastening or unfastening the catches of the frame causes the main members thereof to be subjected to twisting stresses and the hinge joint to tension. If the material of the frame is resilient metal, its main members have the energy to absorb such stresses which will be transmitted separately to the main members and the hinge joint. In case the main members of the frame are formed of metallic castings, such stresses are all taken in the joint. In either case, in the long run they result in damage to the joint.

Because of the nature of the article, the joint of the frame must not be complicated, but be a simple and effective structure to prevent adding to the cost by increasing the complexity of construction.

Apprehension of the seam between the frame and the bag attacheed thereto from becoming worn out has been a main disadvantage affecting commercial acceptance of the frames.

It is one object of the present invention to provide frames for fabric material handbags which overcome the principal drawbacks or disadvantages of prior frames.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a frame in which the hinge joint provides for smooth snapping of the catches for a prolonged period.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a frame for fabric material handbags designed to give a neater appearance to the handbag attached thereto.

According to the present invention, a frame is provided with a joint that employs a spring between washer parts and pivotally complementary raised portions constructed integrally with the main members of the frame at their tips, and without using extra parts to secure the spring which is coiled around a hinge pin, of which one end is preferably pressed laterally, completing the joint. Also the main members have grooves in their inner and outer surfaces, designed to contain sewing thread and the bag seam, respectively, therein.

With these and other objects in view which will become apparent in the following detailed description, the present invention will be clearly understood in connection with the accompanying drawigs, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a frame of the present invention in its closed position;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a section along the lines I-I of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the frame in its open position; and

Patented Apr. 11, 1967 FIG. 5 is a section along the lines 11-11 of FIG. 1.

Main members 1 and 2 of the frame of the present invention are connected to each other by hinge joints consisting of a washer part 3 and a corresponding washer part 4, which are formed integrally at the tips of the main members 1 and 2. The washer part 3 is on the inside and the corresponding washer part 4 is on the outside, with a joint pin 6 extending t-herethrough. The tips of the main memebers 1 and 2 are integrally formed into raised portions 3" and 4", respectively, which raised portions are recessed inwardly from the end of the washer part of the main member on which it is formed. The raised portions on each main member are pivotally complementary to the washer part of the other member, raised portion 3" being substantially abutting washer part 3 and raised portion 4" substantially abutting washer part 4 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. A spring 5 is coiled around the joint pin 6 in order to absorb the tension to which the joint is subjected. When catches 7 and 8 are fastened or unfastened, the washer parts 3 and 4 tend to move respectively in reverse directions relative each other along the hinge pin 6. This movement which is in the range of at most a few millimeters enables the catches to effect a smooth snapping and opening without any impingement to the joint. Once catches 7 and 8 are snapped into position, the spring 5 serves to urge and keep the frame in closed position so as to prevent accidents whereby the frame, and more particularly the catches, are unfastened spontaneously Without the users notice. In order that the functioning of the joint may be further improved, the washer part 3 is designed to be a little thicker than the corresponding washer part 4 and to have a cavity 3 to hold the end of the spring 5. In completing the joint, the end of the pin 6 is preferably pressed laterally to retain it in position. Vertical press or crush which has been employed in the related techniques tends to bend the joint pin 6 and bring about functional disorder of the spring 5.

Referring now again to the drawing, and in particular to FIG. 3, each of the main members 1 and 2 is designed to have a groove 9 in its inner surface, a groove 10 in its outer surace and sewing holes 11 at moderate intervals connecting the two grooves 9 and '10. The groove 9 is formed small enough only to accommodate the sewing thread in it, while the groove 10 is designed to contain the seam of the bag in order to protect it from being worn out during carrying of the handbag. The groove 10 is formed trapezoidal in cross-sectional shape with only the lower side 12 being slanted, which shape is effective for easy and natural attaching of bags to the frame and for keeping a neat appearance of the seam. It is to be noted that the shape of the groove does not restrict the present invention in any respect. If in fact higher cost is not minded, the modification of the invention results in a more perfect and exquisite production of the main members 1 and 2.

In this embodiment of the present invention, hanger parts 13 to which a handle is attached are formed integrally with one of the main members, namely the member 2 in the drawing, and can be thin or small enough only to hold the weight of the handbag and its contents. The hanger parts 13 can be such that they can be cut off from one of the main members, when, if desired, both main members are cast in a single mould. Cutting off of the hanger parts of half of the products is readily accomplished with single mold production as the structures are symmetrical. Afterwards plating can conceal the edges where the hanger parts have been cut off. The simplicity of the hanger parts enables bag makers and users to obtain free selection of bags to be attached to the frames and of handles combined with said bags, which are very important considerations. If the hanger parts 13 are separately mounted on each of main members 1 and 2, diagonally positioned (not shown), the main members 1 and 2 can be cast in a single mold to form symmetrical structures. In the latter case, the hanger parts 13 can be made large enough and designed freelyv As easily understood, a single main member is to be provided with :both the washer part 3 in its one tip and the corresponding washer part 4 in the other tip integrally in any case.

The embodiment of the present invention herein indicated is principally directed to the frame for handbags for home manufacture, because the functional element plays a much more important role in this type of frame than in others. However, it is obvious that the employment of the spring 5 in the joint can be adapted in any kind of frame, if desired, even for commercially made handbags, or small moneybags. Employment of the spring 5 is primarily for effectiveness with metallic castings that are weak in eXternal impingement and internal stresses. A rather delicate spring is enough for the purposes herein with frames made of elastic materials, to retain the catches in the closed position.

While I have disclosed one embodiment of the present invention, it is to be understood that this embodiment is given by example only and not in a limiting sense, the scope of the present invention being deter-mied by the objects and the claims.

I claim:

1. A frame for fabric material handbags comprising two frame members having adjacent ends forming joints, each joint comprising a washer part on one frame member, a corresponding washer part on the other frame member, a hinge pin extending through said washer parts pivotally connecting said frame members, a first raised portion on said one frame member inward of said washer part, a second raised portion on said other frame member inward of said corresponding washer part, said first raise portion pivotally complementary to said corresponding washer part and said second raised portion pivotally complementary to said washer part, and a spring coiled around said pin between said washer part and said corresponding washer part, said spring being capable of absorbing substantially all the stresses and the impingement on said joint.

2. The frame for fabric material handbags as set forth in claim 1, wherein said washer part and said corresponding washer part are formed inte rally with said one frame member and said other frame member, respectively, in -its ends, one of said washer parts having a cavity in its inside face to secure said spring.

3. A frame for fabric material handbags having main members each having grooves in its inner and outer surfaces to contain the sewing thread and the seam, respectively, and sewing holes connecting the two grooves, and thin hanger parts formed integra ly with one of said main members.

4. A frame for fabric material handbags having main members as set forth in claim 3, in which the inner groove is designed to contain the sewing thread and the outer groove to prevent the seam from being worn out.

5. A frame for fabric material handbags as set forth in claim 3, in which said main members are of like shape, said members being cast in the same mold.

6. A frame for fabric material handbags as set forth in claim 1, in which said frame members are of like shape, said members being cast in the same mold.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 933,070 9/ 1909 Gleason.

1,936,703 11/1933 Zeichner et al -29 2,213,835 9/1940 Friedman 15029 FOREIGN PATENTS 17,192 9/1894 Great Britain.

677,969 12/ 1929 France.

FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner. 

1. A FRAME FOR FABRIC MATERIAL HANDBAGS COMPRISING TWO FRAME MEMBERS HAVING ADJACENT ENDS FORMING JOINTS, EACH JOINT COMPRISING A WASHER PART ON ONE FRAME MEMBER, A CORRESPONDING WASHER PART ON THE OTHER FRAME MEMBER, A HINGE PIN EXTENDING THROUGH SAID WASHER PARTS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING SAID FRAME MEMBERS, A FIRST RAISED PORTION ON SAID ONE FRAME MEMBER INWARD OF SAID WASHER PART, A SECOND RAISED PORTION ON SAID OTHER FRAME MEMBER INWARD OF SAID CORRESPONDING WASHER PART, SAID FIRST RAISED PORTION PIVOTALLY COMPLEMENTARY TO SAID CORRESPONDING WASHER PART AND SAID SECOND RAISED PORTION PIVOTALLY COMPLEMENTARY TO SAID WASHER PART, AND A SPRING COILED AROUND SAID PIN BETWEEN SAID WASHER PART AND SAID CORRESPONDING WASHER PART, SAID SPRING BEING CAPABLE OF ABSORBING SUBSTANTIALLY ALL THE STRESSES AND THE IMPINGEMENT ON SAID JOINT. 